Loving Your Children

Recently I read a line in a book that the first business of the day is to "keep an untroubled soul." There are so many truths to teach our children, so many things we want to make sure they take away from having spent time with us. But this idea of keeping an untroubled soul is especially applicable to nurturing children because their little hearts seem to bruise and break so easily. Last week I could hear my grandson crying in the other room when I stopped by the house to drop something off. He was so upset about the inability to remember a few facts that he was getting himself to the place where he was unable to function at all. We prayed together and I tried to remind him that an untroubled soul was so much more important to God than being able to recite a few facts and dates. It's not that I don't care whether he learns his facts or not but I'm more concerned that he would allow his soul to get into such a state. David said it so well, "Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed witin me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence." Psalm 42:5 Helping our children learn how to be aware of the Lord's presence and where to flee to in time of need is one of the greatest things we can teach them. I know this to be true because my heart is often troubled and my soul can become disturbed within me.

Just last week my soul was disturbed. I knew I needed to spend some extended time in the Lord's presence. Through the wonderful ministry of the Word of God He instructed my soul, led me through a time of reflection and repentance. With the help of my concordance He took me to passage after passage of Scripture. Some verses brought correction and conviction. Some brought cleansing and forgiveness. But all were viewed through the lens of the Cross. In the end my soul was untroubled and my hardened heart broken and tender. What a wonderful Savior. What a merciful God. He is there to meet us in our times of need. He hears our cry and comforts our sorrowing heart. May we teach our children how to flee to the Lord in time of need and may they learn how to move from having a troubled soul to an untroubled soul.

~ Brenda Edwards